Dark Chest of Wonders working title
by nyx123131
Summary: Story inspired by the song 'dark chest of wonders' by the finish metal band Nightwish
1. Prologue

Translations:

This story features several "words of power," or the old language. I chose finish for this language, and here are the translations for the commonly used phrases. If they're not right, blame iGoogle. :P

Ocean light

Meress Valossa

Light within darkness

Valo on pimeytt

Ocean storm

Meress Myrsky

Mistress of storms

konttorinhoitaja myrskyjen

Mistress of winter

konttorinhoitaja talven

Queen of shadows

kuningattareksi varjoja

Ocean queen

meress kuningatar

Guides:

opas

Wise one:

viisas

Ruler of Lies

viivain valheita

Lady of Dreams:

nainen unet

Sword:

miekka

Introduction from the author:

This book was written by combining elements of the Ephemera duology, the Black Jewels series, the Tur Ilaine series, and the song 'dark chest of wonders' by nightwish. Thanks tuomas Holopainen and Anne Bishop for the inspiration. If I can get half the emotion that is in one nightwish song into this, and a quarter of Bishop's writing ability, I'll consider it a success. I will warn you before you start, some characters here are Mary-sue. Sorry.

prologue/Kentar

Avylira caeryn stared dejectedly at the walls of her room. Before she'd died, her mother, Laenaralith, had always told her to embrace that which set her apart from other humans. Her aunt Yitharja and uncle Nathict disagreed. She'd moved in with them almost a month after her mother's death, and her father's mysterious disappearance. Avylira could sense things about people. Sometimes, it was simple, sometimes, it was too complicated for words. Most often, though, she felt the connections that drew people together. It was like hearing two notes of a chord. she could just tell they went together. Often, there were several hearts that resonated with each other through similar desires, emotions, or personality, to form a web. This was the lifeweb. But, there were also the heartwebs. Smaller, and infinitely more complicated. Every person's heartweb showed her information about the person's well-being emotionally and physically.

This was never the case with her aunt and uncle. They weren't supposed to fit together. The attempt to force them to connect had resulted in an unstable and off-centered lifeweb. She could since the web that connected the hearts of everyone she saw like a physical image. And when she'd remarked that her aunt's web wasn't right, she'd been beaten and ordered to stop spouting gibberish. Frightened, she'd explained her abilities to her aunt. Her aunt had turned ghostly pale and confined her to her room for the rest of the day. She'd then went to the kitchen and upended several large glasses of brandy. It'd taken several months for Yitharja to forgive her for that.

Then, a week ago, the dreams had started. She stood on a beautiful island, alone by the sea. The salt of the ocean filled her nostrils, and gulls flew overhead. She knew instinctively that she was supposed to do something here--to save something--but she could never figure out what she was supposed to save. Peaces of the island crumbled and died beneath her the longer she stayed. A sweet, metallic smell would take the place of the salt. Frantically, she turned back to the sea, only to find that it was no longer filled with water, but gallons and gallons of blood filled the space. Bodies--Kentari and Caleydraian alike--sank under the assault. The hand of a tall man with long black hair reached out from the blood as he struggled to rise. And over the entire scene, a black chest, covered with thousands of glittering diamonds, floated.


	2. Chapter 1

1/Caleydra.

Night fell over the island of Caleydra. The moonlight fell over the sea giving the allusion of a wall of mist. Taborlin walked over the deserted beach, lost in his thoughts. Caleydra was once known as the most beautiful city in all the worlds. It was a place of peace, where people of all ages could go to escape the troubles in their lives, make peace with what they'd become, or simply enjoy the unyielding beauty that surrounded them. Now, it was a place of fear. True, the land was still beautiful--there wasn't much Stella Drae could do about that. But the essence of what had been Caleydra was gone.

Then, Stella was the reason a lot of things weren't what they once had been. He'd been born here, raised by parents who still lived by the old ways. Honor and love were the two things most valued in life. "When everything lets you down, keep your honor, and love will come to all in due time." his father had drilled those ideals into his head for the first seventeen years of his life. Then, Stella had become ambitious. She had had high standing in the courts, as seers always did. But, she wanted complete control. Her queen was brutally killed just a week before Stella's seventeenth birthday. Oh, outwardly, she was heartbroken. And on the day she'd "humbly" admitted that she'd seen a vision of the Kentari people attacking Caleydra during the chaos of choosing a new queen, he had believed her. As she'd planned, she was elected as temporary queen. She was uncommonly strong for a wizard, and she had the makings of a good leader. When she claimed it was necessary to attack the people of Kentar first, no one had challenged her. No one could quite remember why they hadn't. Kentar was one of the last old places left. It was one of the last places that remembered what the old wizards had been. Perhaps if they had resisted, things wouldn't have come to this. But thoughts like that were useless now. Stella had sent ships across the sea that separated the two lands, and they had conquered the Kentari, chaining its citizens to Caleydra, then Stella had turned her forces on her own people. Anyone with any hope of challenging her power was destroyed. Other seers, blessed by the gods with there visions, were killed. Politicians that opposed her were subtly eliminated, until everyone who refused to submit to her will was either enslaved or killed. His family was one of the first to go. He was one of the slaves. The lady had taken one look at him and gotten that LOOK in her eyes that always meant trouble. He could still remember the purr of her voice as she'd smiled and stopped the guards from relieving him of his head. the room had been drenched in his parent's blood, and the guards faced him. He kicked and screamed, punched and bit, but it was all in vain.

Then, Stella had entered. "Stop," she had ordered. "I want to keep this one."

The guard had regarded her dubiously. "Milady, this one is a fighter." they had said.

"yes. All the better when he is finally broken," she'd replied. A fighter. They had no idea. For almost 15 years, he had served the high lady in her court, and in her bed, and she still hadn't been able to make him submit to her will. All because of two legends, and a code of honor. And his friends. Traeliass and Jaynaos were servants in the court of about his age. It was them whom Stella had told to look after him when she'd first acquired him into her service, and the three had become unlikely friends. When Traeliass looked at him, she didn't see a tall, mysterious, sensuous man, she just saw a boy who was alone in the world. The voice with a lilting accent that sped the pulses of most women had no effect on her. True, she was with Jaynaos, but that did not make a difference with most women. It was the acceptance that made him stay with them.

"Taborlin?" He looked up to see a tall woman with pale skin, long black hair, and vivid green eyes looking concernedly back at him. If winter had a face, this was it. Only Traeliass could manage to look dignified in the servant's clothing. She was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman Taborlin had ever seen. He never contemplated her as a possible lover, though. She'd always been like a sister to him, and the first friend he'd made here. "are you well? You seem distracted."

A cool, light breeze flowed over his bare shoulders and ruffled his long black hair. Traeliass was uncommonly gifted in controlling the elements. Her general affinity was with winter, but she could manage the gift in summer as well, though it took a taxing amount of effort and drained her power quickly. He suspected that this was the reason Stella had kept her. Her power wasn't complete, though. She had never been allowed to go through the ceremony that would complete the power she'd been born with.

"No, I just wanted to think, and be alone for a while."

She nodded and put a hand over her heart in an ancient gesture of respect. "Yes. this ocean is a place of solitude."

"Do you believe the old legends?" he asked suddenly? "The ones that refer to the tumma rinnassa ihmeit? About the dark chest of wonders, and the one that holds the mysterious power, and all?"

"I do not yet know," she answered. "It certainly gives me hope to think that something out there could yet free us from the restraints put in place by Stella. But it seems that if such a thing existed, it would come to our aid before now. I do not think trusting to an unknown power and an ancient chest will free us. Besides, it says that the chest can only be opened by one pure of heart. How many people are truly pure? The only thing I know for sure is that I will do whatever is necessary to protect my life, and ancient legends are best forgotten."


	3. Chapter 2

2/Caleydra

Author's note: Lot of action in this chapter. God, I love Taborlin. I almost hate what I'm about to do in the next couple chapters. Mild language and some slightly adult content.

Stella marched through the palace. Servants and attendants scurried out of her way like vermin. No! That couldn't happen. If that child realized the full extent of her power, it could mean the end of her rule. She'd always thought that Kentar should have been destroyed, but at the time, she'd had too many problems in her own territory to see to it. That could easily be remedied. That child wouldn't ever think of destroying her--she would serve her. Now. Where were the servants she'd need?

There. That one would do nicely. He was the most beautiful man in her court, and the most troublesome. He was tall, with long, thick, black hair, a well-honed body, and alluring blue eyes. He was also reluctant to submit to his proper place in the court. Yes. This offer should intrigue him.

As she approached him, his ocean-blue eyes hardened. "Lady," he greeted her with cold civility. "How may I serve?"

"Taborlin," she murmured. "Why do you regard me with such hatred? Have I not done everything in my power to help you?"

"You are a liar, a usurper, and a bitch. I serve you because I am forced to, and our feelings for each other are mutual dislike. Now. I ask again: How can I serve? Tell me what you want, so that we both may return to our own devices."

"Taborlin. You forget your place. I am the queen here, and you are but a slave. If you continue with this insolence, you may yet force me to kill you."

"I forget nothing, lady," he said, smiling mockingly. "And you'll never have me killed."

He was right, of course, but no reason to let him know that. "Why do you rest so assured of your value to me?"

He sighed and began walking slowly toward her. When he reached her, he slid his arms around her, holding her against him. The look in his eyes was wild, but his lips were soft and warm as he kissed her. Before she could stop herself, she moaned, and opened her lips, sliding her tongue into his mouth. Could it be possible? This was exactly what she'd always been waiting for. She needed to feel him harden against her. She reached for the zipper on the jeans separating them.

He pulled away from her roughly, laughing coldly. "That, lady is exactly why you won't kill me," he said softly. "The chance that I might one day give you an offspring strong enough to hold Caleydra after you're dead is just too much for you to give up."

"All this is just a game to you, isn't it?" she asked, tears involuntarily falling down her cheeks.

"You insult me, lady," he said mildly. "Just so we understand each other, no. this is not a game. I take undermining you with deadly seriousness. So, for the third time, I ask you: What do you want here?"

"I... Yes. It is time that Kentar was destroyed completely. I will send all the wizards there, including the servants, with one exception, that being Kerawon there." She turned to a tall man in his early thirties. He was tall, with short, curly brown hair and eyes, and a short, neatly-trimmed beard. "We will have a meeting of the queens who work under me in the territory. He will stay to entertain the coven. Or would you prefer to go to Kentar? She smiled in anticipation.

"No, lady," he answered resignedly. It would be my honor to serve the coven."

"Very good. Now, Taborlan, if you find anyone who has a trace of the power, they are to be brought back here immediately."

"I see. And when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow at sunrise."

"Very well."

*

AS Stella left the servant's wing, Taborlin turned back to Traeliass, Jaynaos, and Kerawon. "She oversteps her duties as queen, again. As if enslaving less-powerful wizards wasn't enough, she sends us to destroy one of the last old places. What the lady proposes will be a slaughter of who knows how many Innocent. I will not partake of this. It's time to risk the spell."

Traeliass shuddered. "You think a lifetime of madness would be worse?" That was it. The reason So few people refused to defy Stella. Once any person was put into her service, a spell was woven around there mind so that if they ever tried to leave her, they would be lost forever in madness.

"It is," he said. "It's us or them, and even if she continues with her plan, I will not be part of it."

"You speak treason, my friend," said Kerawon. "Brave and noble words, but I fear that I can not join you. I must wait here if I am to be any use should the nainen unet appear. I give you my word, however, that I will reveal nothing of your plans to the lady."

"Well, that is the most I can ask of you. So, we meet at the edge of the woods, and leave at midnight. Agreed, Traeliass? Jaynaos?" The woods were the only safe place in Caleydra. For some reason, Stella could not control them. Some said it was because the old creatures still lived there. Some said that the gods had been merciful and left one safe place. Even some speculated that all the ghosts of her victims made a home there, and she could not overwhelm their combined power. But, for whatever reason, her magic could not penetrate its borders.

When both gave their ascent, he felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was likely that he would forever be trapped in madness, but he wouldn't be alone.


	4. Chapter 3

3/Caleydra

Author's notes: recommended music for this chapter: Fade to Black by either metallica or Sonata Arctica. (I personally prefer the Sonata Arctica cover.)

Where were they? It was already a quarter passed midnight, and there was no sign of either Traeliass or Jaynaos. Didn't they see the necessity of haste? His formidable temper was already honed from his confrontation with Stella earlier that day. Now, it was sharpened by the fear that something had happened to them. If that woman had hurt his friends, she wouldn't live to see another sunrise. True, the realm would be plunged into madness and chaos, but his friends would be saved.

"Taborlin?" He turned towards the whisper in the darkness.

"Jaynaos. Thank the gods. Took you long enough. Are you all right? You look a little..."

"I'm fine. Just nervous. If she finds us..."

"I know. We have to hurry. Where is Traeliass?"

He looked around himself in confusion. "She was right behind me," he said.

"There!" Traeliass shot out of the darkness and stood behind him.

"Right. Let's go." He tried to ignore the unease and started towards the forest.

They were almost at the edge of the woods when a sharp female voice came from the night. "You ungrateful little bastard. You think you can leave my service? Seize him."

He ran. How in the hell had Stella found out? A sharp crack, followed by agonizing pain in his back sent him sprawling on the ground. When he looked up, expecting to see Stella staring down at him, it was Traeliass Who met his gaze, murderous anticipation in her green eyes, her hands apart, preparing to send another bolt of magic towards him. Jaynaos flanked her, throwing a shield around her. "noooo! Traeliass! What has she done to you?"

"You still don't understand, do you?" she asked. "There is no hope for Caleydra, save that which Stella offers. You, my dear, were just about to ruin several years of careful planning, and I cannot permit that. I did warn you. I told you that I would do anything to protect my life. I meant that. If you surrender now, our mistress may not punish you."

Oh, he understood. He understood all too well now. Traeliass, the woman he'd loved like a sister for most of his life, was a traitor and a coward. He got to his feet, embracing the pain--both physical and emotional--like an old and welcome lover. He reached for Jaynaos shield, battering ruthlessly at it with his mind. When it snapped, Jaynaos screamed in agony, and fell. He wasn't sure if his friend was dead or unconscious, and he didn't have time to check. He snarled a war cry and sent bolt after bolt of power at Traeliass. Wind whirled around her, deflecting the bolts, sending them careening wildly off course. He threw up his own shield just moments before Traeliass sent her own barrage of magic towards him, seeking to cripple him.

Escape was still the most important thing, he decided. Someone else would finish Traeliass. If the chest was ever to be opened, he thought, it would have to be soon if it was expected to do any good for Caleydra and its people. He ran for the woods, preying that his shield would hold up under Traeliass attack.

He turned, sent one concentrated bolt at her, saw her fall, and continued running. He had to get to the woods. Had to get to... Had to get... Had. To. Get...

He was free! He reveled in that for a moment before he was consumed by the madness. It didn't hurt. He was surprised by that. He felt... sorrow. He looked around him and saw piercing green eyes. "There is no hope for Caleydra." The words played over in his head. "There is no hope for Caleydra. There is no hope. No hope... no hope for... No hope."

"Noooo!" With a cry of pain and rage, he threw himself at the nearest pare of eyes. "Shut up!" His head hit something hard, & he curled up, unconscious, yet still not free. Even in his dreams, the voice continued. "There is no hope..."

*

"She is coming," Viisas, the old queen of the dragons, told her daughter, Miekka. "The nainen unet will walk among us very soon. I will be gone, but it is for you to serve."

The young one roared. "We are dragons! The royal line, at that. We serve no human!"

"Alas, daughter, it is our duty to serve our two-footed brethren. We have failed them in the past, and the debt must be repaid."

"I will serve no human," the young one said again. "That is why we are in this wood. Or have you forgotten that, Viisas?"

"No!" the eyes of the old one bled a dark red. "We are here because we will not grovel to the Viivain Valheita. We serve worthy humans. We are dragons. We grovel before nothing and no one."

"Fine. I'm not saying that I will serve your "nainen unet", but how shall I know her when she does appear?"

"She will pass all our defenses. She will be dark of heart, but not evil. Light of heart, but not innocent. She will embrace your beast, and not tame it. She will be human and dragon, and other. She will be pure."

"You speak in riddles! Light of heart, dark of heart. Dragon, human, and other. This is not possible!"

Viisas opened her jaws and a large plume of smoke as black as her scales flared through the forest. "Have you never seen the visions, miekka? You know that the dreams sent out through the heartwebs of the animals and humans cause impossibilities to thrive. The humans here dream of a way to be free of the Viivain Valheita. The nainen unet is the tool that will release the land from her."

"Very well. I will admit that the latest brave one is more dragon than human."

"Yes. He has a dragon's will. It takes much to defy the Viivain Valheita. I have sent the opas to watch him, and the other leaders have set up there own defenses for that one. He must live. We can not risk freeing him from the spell ourselves, but he must be freed."

"How shall this be done?"

"It is for the lady of dreams to decide. Work with the other powerful mages on his defense until she arrives. I suggest that you speak with Kalyina, the mares kuningatar. She will help you. Tell her what I have seen, and that the nainen unet needs this human to do what must be done."


	5. Chapter 4

4/Kentar

Author's notes: Yeah. Sorry if this turns out a little weird. I know what I want to happen, but getting it down on paper isn't working as well as I might have wished. Wow. This is a long chapter. Enjoy!

Avylira awoke with a violent start and tried to muffle the automatic scream that reflexively wanted to be released. The dreams had gotten progressively worse. Every night, the sea of blood grew. The man who had struggled so hard to rise above the blood now floated with a passivity that disturbed her. She knew on some instinctive level that if the man's head plunged beneath the wicked depths, their would be no saving the land or its people. Hastily, she offered him her hand, preparatory to pulling him from the ocean. He was already submerged up to his shoulders, and his eyes were cast down towards his prison. She couldn't make him look up, and the ocean rose inexorably toward that beautiful face. And, as if all this weren't strange enough, that mysterious black chest floated peacefully over the man. Millions of far-off voices began to chant. "Lent unelma pitk lle yli mereen. Kaikki rasituksen poissa. Avaa rinnassa viel kerran. Dark rinnassa ihmeit . L pi n htyjen silmiss yksi puhtaalla syd mell . Kun niin kauan sitten. Siin , Big Blue on se, mit maailma varasti minulta. T m y tuo h net takaisin minulle. Fly to a dream far across the sea. All the burdens gone. Open the chest once more. Dark chest of wonders. Seen through the eyes of the one with pure heart. Once so long ago. The one in the Big Blue is what the world stole from me. This night will bring him back to me. "

Tentatively, she took several steps towards the chest, reaching out for it. A tiny pool of blood lapped at her black leather boots. The moment her hands made contact with the chest, which felt neither like wood, metal, or any other substance Avylira had ever encountered, but which almost thrummed with power, the sea of blood closed over her. Desperately, she closed her eyes, as if if she could no longer see the danger coming towards her, it could not come. Rain began to fall, fast and hard, pounding her back and shoulders, and lightning seared the sky. As the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, she was jerked awake. Was this just a dream, or was this something more? Something to truly fear?

Avylira had no answers. Her small room, with its stark white walls, 4-poster bed and work desk was unusually claustrophobic. She needed to feel the powers of the land, the sky, the wind, the river, and the moon as they worked in harmony over Kentar. Her feelings told her something terrible was coming. Something she could stop, if she only knew how. She glanced at the clock. Midnight. Good. No one would search for her for six hours, at least. Quickly, she went to the small window and opened it. Silently, she leapt from the seal out into the night.

*

Traeliass walked over the Kentari land for the first time in centuries. In some ways, this land was preferable to her homeland. It had a cooler climate, which meant that this city had many more storms than that of her homeland. And, being the last konttorinhoitaja myrskyjen, she could almost feel at home here. The power of the storms filled her. She drew on the power of the storm wind and used it to augment her own powers.

While it may have been under the jurisdiction of Caleydra, very few Caleydrians actually visited the ancient city. She herself hadn't been there since the death of her mother. She tried not to think of her, but here in Kentar, it was almost impossible. The pale skin and straight hair of all the Kentari people always looked so damned familiar. Any one of the hundreds of women strolling arrogantly around this city could have been distant cousins. But, the very attributes which were native to the Kentari people also marked Traeliass as a half-breed. Nobody native to Caleydra had her pale skin, nobody from Kentar had her wavy hair. There was one other difference on the Kentari side of her heritage. No one of Kentar could call magic. The magicians if this land were killed in the first wave of troops Stella had sent into the city. Or so every one had believed. Now she was insisting that there was a threat to her power here.

Jolam, the queen's master of the guard, and her assistant on this trip, turned to her. "Milady, we have searched this baron land all the light forsaken day! Surely if there were something to find, one or both of us would have sensed it." He was a boy of about nineteen, and very frail of appearance. He was short, several inches shorter than her, with long, greasy black hair pulled back in a ponytail. His entire face was just short of symmetrical, with high cheekbones, an extraordinarily long nose, and beady gray eyes that always reminded Traeliass of a mouse. This assessment was encouraged by the brittle, squeaky voice that always sounded on the verge of panic.

"Do you doubt our great mistress, Jolam?" She asked threateningly. "How would the lady react knowing that the faith of her servant is greater than her own master of the guard?"

Truth be told, she herself doubted that there was anything else to find. But anything, painful memories of her mother included, would be better than returning to Caleydra and facing the consequences of what she'd done there. She hadn't truly wanted to hurt Taborlan. She'd believed that he'd have seen since, and returned to Stella's refuge! What in the world had he been thinking to go up against her? He knew what she could do. How could he not see that conforming was better than trying to resist her? Everyone gave in eventually, anyway. If you stopped resisting first, you got the favor of the lady. That wasn't treacherous; that was just survival!

A spark of power came from nearby, drawing Traeliass from her thoughts and back to her surroundings. She reached around her, searching for the source of the energy she'd felt. She could since the light trickle of power, as weak as the rest of him, that came from Jolam, but that wasn't what had alerted her. No. this power felt almost dark. Strong. Even that tiny spark was cold with darkness, and fear. That wasn't possible. All the serious powers had already been dealt with. hadn't they?

"It appears we've found the lady's threat," she said.

*

The air was cool against Avylira's bare skin. The dress she'd slipped on was black, and left her shoulders bare. The night was alive with the sound and feel of a thousand different life forms that made up the wilderness. Several owls flew around the currently-deserted city streets, and she could feel the spark of life that animated them. She walked unconsciously towards the lake, now frozen solid. Of all the powers that worked over the land, water was, and had always been, her favorite.

A prickle of unease ran through her a moment before she felt the two irregularities in the forest. Two humans waited near the lake. They were like her, but not. Without fully understanding why, hostility rolled off her. Something about them was wrong. SHE chained the desire to slip beneath their meager shields and obliterate them with a thought and a very small spark of power. She didn't, however, try to control her hostility as she approached them.

The woman was beautiful. She looked almost like a perfect statue as she stood by the lake, moonlight falling on her pale skin. Long, wavy, dark hair flowed down her back, contrasting well with the dark cape she wore. Sharp, bright green eyes stood out like jewels from the radiant beauty of her face. Beneath the careful shields, this woman was afraid. The feel of her fear furthered Avylira's desire to rid Kentar of them. But, beneath the fear was a strong personality, and an unfailing determination. Perhaps they were only refugees from Caleydra, she decided. Life was sacred, after all. Taking it needlessly would be against everything she believed.

Her companion, a young man who didn't look much older than Avylira herself, was her opposite in almost every way. Long, black hair, which appeared as if it had not been washed in many years, framed an angular face. Beady gray eyes watched her approach hungrily. It was harder to control the impulse with this one.

"Can I help you?" she asked, not trying to keep the suspicion from her voice.

"We certainly hope so," the woman said. I am Traeliass, and this is my son, Jolam. We are refugees from Caleydra. We've had a terribly exhausting journey, both emotionally and physically. We were hoping, perhaps unwisely, that you knew of someplace we could rest?"

She decided to lead the strangers to Kinhaigo's inn. He would offer them hospitality, but he would keep an eye on them. "I am Avylira. Welcome to Kentar. As a matter of fact, I believe I do know of a place where you can stay. If you would follow me?"

"Certainly. Thank you for the assistance."

She turned and began walking back the way she'd come. She felt Traeliass's shield tighten around her party just seconds before everything turned to chaos. A sharp sting pierced her shoulder, and she had just time enough to put all her strength into protecting her power before she felt the poison flowing through her body. Then, the world went black. Her last thought was regret for not trusting her instincts.


	6. Chapter 5

5/Kentar

Author's notes: I know the next several chapters are gonna be so Mary-Sue that you'll probably want to stone me, but I give you my solomn word that it won't last. Music for this chapter: You- Evanescence. Also, if any of you know anything about methology, is there any creature, beside sirens, that prefer the ocean? I'd appreciate any input you can give about this.

Traeliass walked silently behind the girl who'd introduced herself as Avylira and waited for the opportunity she needed. She was rather short of stature, and looked to be about fifteen. Long, ebony hair framed a small, pale face. Her eyes were the only strange feature about her. At times, they looked blue, but at other times, they had flecks of red, black, gray, and green in their icy depths. But, no matter what shade the eyes were at the moment, there was something not altogether human in them. Something that testified that the child before her had grown up too hard and too fast.

Jolam, who was practically foaming at the mouth, walked beside her. It was tempting to rid herself of both of them at the same time, but the queen's orders had been specific. Bring the one with the power back to Caleydra unharmed, and she didn't think lady Emaerna would be forgiving if her master of the guard was unconscious when they got there. Quietly, Traeliass took a breath, used the power to snap a shield around herself and Jolam, just in case the girl showed resistance, and shot the tiny gun she'd concealed.

The cabin they'd intended to hold the prisoner had counted on her being relatively weak in the power. The brief glimpse Traeliass had seen into Avylira's mind indicated just the opposite. Traeliass couldn't ever remember feeling that much strength. There was no way they could leave her body with Jolam, since she was almost certain that Emaerna would consider rape in the category of harm. That left her suite.

A tiny trickle of apprehension wormed it's way inside Traeliass's gut. The chemicals in the potion in the darts that she'd injected Avylira with were the strongest they had, and were able to keep someone as strong as her unconscious for the week it would take them to return to Caleydra. But the stronger one was in the power, the quicker his or her body burned off toxins. what that meant for the girl, Traeliass wasn't sure, and didn't think she wanted to find out. But, she had the horrible suspicion that it would be her alone that found out all too soon.

*

Two days later, Traeliass sat on the plush couch in her suite aboard the ship. Thick carpet covered the floor of the small l-shaped chamber, and several pictures of herself, Erohs, and Taborlin lined the walls. The girl's body lay on the small bed in the left hand corner. For the time they'd been sailing, the seas had been unseasonably calm, and they were already a quarter of the way back home. During this time, Avylira had showed no sign of waking, and Traeliass began to hope.

Then, the girl opened her eyes.

*

When Avylira first awoke, the first thing she noticed was that she was not alone. She recognized the distinctive psychic feel of the woman who'd called herself Traeliass. Further back in the ship, with the captain, she also felt Jolam. She pulled away from his mind as soon as she'd brushed over it.

She took a quick glance around the room. It was shaped like a small l, and was very extravagant. Thick carpet covered the floor, a plush couch sat against one wall, on which sat Traeliass, and a wooden desk sat against the back wall.

But none of these things were what captured her attention. All this paled in comparison to the pictures that hung above the bed.

She recognized Traeliass in the image, which was set against a formal background. She wore a floor-length black dress, and a long cape draped over her shoulders. Her long hair was elegantly arranged, and her face was lit with happiness, rather than the bitterness Avylira had seen in it.

but the two men on either side of her held her attention.

The first was of average height. ,he had short, curly, brown hair, and brown eyes that twinkled with an unquenchable good cheer and an almost constant ability to warm those around him like a sun.

The second man was tall and muscular, and dark of skin. Long, wavy, thick, black hair flowed in a main down his back. He was dressed in black, from the perfectly tailored shirt, to the leather pants, that disappeared into the almost knee-high black leather boots. His sculpted face, which looked oddly familiar for some reason Avylira couldn't name, wasn't cold, but it was distant. In all, he was perfectly beautiful. But none of this was what held her. Just as one notices the sand before an ocean before they actually observe the waters, the beauty of the man's body was but a prelude to the beauty inside his soul.

It has been said that the eyes are the window to the soul. Calling this man's eyes blue would have been an insult. While they were blue, that could never do justice to the personality that looked out of those eyes. Even in a picture, she could tell that this man had been through all the hells a mortal could ever endure, and more. They were haunted, shining with the cold fire of loss. It was obvious that he hadn't gone through these torments unscathed, but deeper in their ocean-blue depths, under the pain and suffering and loss, she saw innocence. She saw a man who should have been dead, burn with emotion. Love, hate, fear, happiness; they were all there. More than anything, she wanted to rap her soul around his, shielding it from further torment.

"You like the picture?" Traeliass's voice brought her back to her surroundings.

"They're very nice," she said diplomatically.

"I hope so," she said. "They're your new companions. The short one is, anyway. That's Erohs."

Seeing that Traeliass showed no sign of continuing, Avylira asked, "And the other? Who is he? And why are they not with you?"

"He is dead," she said harshly. "His name was Taborlin, and he displeased the queen I'm taking you to serve. Every servant has a spell placed upon them that will cause them to go mad" should they leave Emaerna's service. No one has ever survived it. I suggest you take his lesson very seriously. No acts of defiance will be tolerated."

"I see," she said coldly. When Traeliass turned back to her, she saw that the girl's eyes had all the sweet, cold, deadly rage of a caleydran ice cap, and there was nothing human there to reason with. For a long second, Traeliass was paralyzed with fear. If Avylira turned on her, she wasn't sure she would survive the confrontation. She felt extremely sorry for lady Emaerna. But, if anyone could handle an enraged dark sister, it would be the usurper.

"Very well, then," she said. "I'll see what I can do to please our sister. I'll be sure she remembers me for a long time to come."

Being wise enough not to respond to that remark, Traeliass let the girl continue to study the pictures. If she were being honest with herself, she had to admit that she felt a perverse curiosity to see whom would win the inevitable battle of wills between Emaerna and Avylira. Fortunately, she thought, they were almost to Caleydra, and it wasn't likely she'd have to wonder for very long once they reached it.

*

Emaerna paced her formal sitting room and tried not to let her impatience and rage be felt beyond the room--it wouldn't do to let the girl feel how important she was to her plans-- and waited. And waited. And waited. She could feel Traeliass coming to the room, but what in the name of the lost chest did she mean by taking so long to get here?

Finally, Traeliass opened the door. She was half-leading, half-dragging a child behind her. She was relatively short, with long, dark hair flowing unbound down her back. She wore a sleeveless black dress, and her expression said plainly that she was coming here by her own choice, and Traeliass was simply being kind enough to provide the means. But her eyes... Emaerna was pulled into two fiery pits that seemed to lead straight to the deepest part of hell. Flecks of blue, green, black, and sea mist gray chased each other around in a spiraling dance through the fire.

"Lady Emaerna." Her voice was as cold as her eyes. "You requested my presence. I have come. What do you want?"

"You are a prisoner of war. You will serve me, now."

"I'll never serve you."

"Then, you will be stripped of all your power."

She smiled sardonically. "very well. Take the power from me, if you can. You won't be the first to try."

Emaerna smiled gleefully. The only thing she enjoyed more than twisting strong men and women into her service was breaking them. She reached for the girl's mind and poured all her strength into breaking the girl's link with the power.

By the chest! The vision had warned her that the girl was strong, but this... She could probably destroy this entire Continent and still have plenty of power in reserve! She poured her power into the mental dagger, and strained at the link. It gave, repaired, wavered... And finally, it broke.

Avylira's heartrending scream was the perfect counterpoint to her delighted laugh.


End file.
